DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the color of the cloth” and “the cloth” lack antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the characteristic information image” lacks antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aritomi et al. (9524,452) in view of Otani (2024/0254358).
Regarding claims 1, 6 and 7, Aritomi teaches an image processing apparatus, method and non-transitory readable storage medium comprising a processor (fig. 1, item 3000) being configured to extract characteristic information of a printed material corresponding to a base material (fig. 4, paper) used for printing using color ink (col. 2, line 50, note that all inkjet printers use color ink) and a printing condition of the printing (fig. 10, print density) and to generate a characteristic information image (fig. 11) representing the extracted characteristic information (fig. 11),
wherein the characteristic information image indicates numerical values (fig. 11, note numerals) of the characteristic information corresponding to a plurality of printing conditions (see fig. 11).
Aritomi does not teach wherein the printer is configured to print with pretreatment liquid and white ink in addition to color ink, wherein the printing condition includes: a ratio of the amount of pretreatment liquid and the amount of base ink. Otani teaches printing with pretreatment liquid, a white ink as a base ink and wherein a processor extracts characteristic information including a ratio of pretreatment liquid to white base ink, a material and color of a cloth and evaluated characteristics of the printed product of the cloth (Otani, [0162]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the print density calibration technique disclosed by Aritomi to the printing device disclosed by Otani because doing so would amount to substituting a more sophisticated calibration technique for a less sophisticated one, thereby allowing for more precise calibration.
Regarding claim 2, Aritomi in view of Otani teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information image is a test print image printed by test printing (Aritomi, see fig. 11).
Regarding claim 3, Aritomi in view of Otani teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor present a condition selection image and corresponding to the plurality of the printing conditions to a user, and generate the test print image corresponding to the plurality of printing conditions selected by the user (Aritomi, see condition selection image of figure 10 and test image of figure 11).
Regarding claim 4, Aritomi in view of Otani teaches the image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor presents a plurality of the recommended printing conditions to a user, and generates the characteristic information image corresponding to one or more of the plurality of printing conditions selected by the user (Aritomi, fig. 10, Note “Standard”)
Regarding claim 5, Aritomi in view of Otani image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information includes at least one of fastness to washing and white density (Asano, [0141]-[0147], Note that the density of white ink to be deposited on the substrate is necessarily extracted by the processor).
Regarding claim 8, Aritomi in view of Otani image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base material is a fabric (Otani, [0162]).
Regarding claim 9, Aritomi in view of Otani image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information corresponds to the material and the color of the cloth of the base material and the printing condition (Otani, [0162], Note that the hardness and color of the cloth are taken into account).
Regarding claim 10, Aritomi in view of Otani image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information image includes respective guide for at least two conditions selected from the group consisting of white density, fastness to washing, fastness to rubbing, texture, and cost (Otani, [0162], Note that whiteness and hardness, i.e., texture, of the cloth are included. Note also that “guides” has not been defined in any particular way).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot in light of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
